1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a supply device for supplying a friction material to a devolatizing device used in a process for the manufacture of disc pads for a disc brake, or other products.
2. Relted Art
In a process for manufacturing a friction product, a devolatizing step is carried out after a step of agitating a friction material, and serves to remove the volatile content or the water content from the friction material. In the agitating step, a solvent added to the friction material for promoting a uniform mixing of a reinforcement material (e.g. asbestos), a friction modifier, a binder and etc., or the & water content of the friction material adversely affects the friction material at a later press step. As a result, the shaped friction material may be subjected to a crack, a flaw and other damage. To avoid such damage, it is necessary to devolatize or dry the friction material after the agitating step. Such devolatizing is carried out by placing the friction material on a conveyer after the agitating step, and subjecting the friction material to hot-air drying.
However, in such conventional devolatizing step, the friction material having no specified shape is supplied to a devolatizing device after the agitating step, and therefore the devolatizing or drying operation is carried out in a discontinuous manner, and requires much time.